Yet Another Google Print Lawsuit

It was a busy news day for the publishing world. Just weeks after the Authors Guild filed a lawsuit against the Google Print Library Project, the Association of American Publishers has now filed suit as well. The source of problem is that this project is opt-out, not opt-in. The Google Print Library Project aims to scan millions of books from major universities to make them searchable, but not entirely readable, on the internet. Publishers have the right to opt out by November 1st.

It’s important to note that the library project is a variation of the voluntary Google Print program, in which publishers can choose to make their books available for scanning and search online. To see how Google Print works, go to print.google.com, and enter my name (Patrice-Anne Rutledge). You’ll find my book Special Edition Using Microsoft Powerpoint 2002, which my publisher made available for limited search.

Here are some links to news stories on this important issue:

Opinions on all this? Does a program like Google Print help authors to find an audience for their books and drive sales? Is an opt-out program an infrigement of copyright law and fair use? Feel free to comment.

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